Recap by Asha Kadakia, MPH (Global Health) Candidate
On Monday, May 17, the South Asia Center partnered with the UW Department of Global Health to put on a student-led panel in the GH 593 “Rethinking Global Health” course, with instructors Deepa Rao and Ahoua Kone. Moderated by students from the Department of Global Health’s MPH program, Gifti Abbo, Asha Kadakia, Erika Petrik, and Alexandra Price, the panel discussion featured Dr. Priti Ramamurthy from UW Department of Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies and Dr. Ravinder Kaur from IIT Delhi Department of Sociology. The panelists were chosen for their unique perspectives on the junction of public health and women’s issues in South Asia.
The discussion focused on the changes in trends of demography, the dynamic role of women in India, and how global economies incorporate women into the workforce. Both panelists discussed their work in studying how women’s roles have changed throughout history in South Asia and beyond. Our panelists were asked questions about their research journeys, policies surrounding women’s roles in India, as well as about how marriage dynamics and processes have changed over time. The panelists also discussed promising programs that were focused on working with men to bring more empowerment for women and equity into family member roles.